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Newsletter of the U.S. Province of the OMI USA Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate SEPTEMBER 2018 Vol. 21, No. 5 4 novices profess first vows blates and friends gathered at St. Ambrose Parish in Godfrey, IL on the anniversary of the birth of St. OEugene de Mazenod, August 1, 2018 to welcome four new men into the Oblate congregation. Having successfully completed their year at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Novitiate in Godfrey, Lazaro Angel Leal from Texas, Michael Kabazo and Wilbroad Kapembwa of Zambia, and Canada’s Joey Methé were joined by Oblates from around the coun- try along with Oblate Associates, employees and friends for the celebration. New Schol. Bros: Lazaro Leal, Michael Kabazo, Joey Also on hand for the event were three Oblate Methé and Wilbroad Kapembwa Provincials including two from Canada: Fr. Ken Thorson employees happily greeted each other and visited before of OMI Lacombe Province, and Fr. Luc Tardif of Prov- settling in for the Mass. Fr. Louis Studer presided, and ince Notre-Dame-du-Cap, and the U.S. Provincial, Fr. Fr. Luc Tardif was the homilist. The MC and Gospel Louis Studer. reader was Deacon Bill Kessler. When the time came, The celebratory nature of the event was on full dis- the Novices were called up one by one, beginning with play as local and visiting Oblates, Associates, friends, and Continued on page 9 7 new Zambian Oblate priests by David Kalert, OMI even newly ordained Zambian Oblates: Benny Lipalata, Bright Kachigamba SPhiri, Morgan Musukuma, Elvis Ngosa, Godfrey Mwanza, Felix Bwalya Nyambe, Mathews Zulu! On Saturday, July 7, along with numerous Oblates, some diocesan priests and representatives from other religious communities, I was very happy to concelebrate the ordination Mass, presided at by Bishop Evans Chinyemba, OMI, bishop of Mongu Diocese. Bishop Valentine Kalumba, OMI, bishop of Livingstone Diocese, also concelebrated. The four-and-a-half-hour ceremony Front, l-r: Frs. Sakala, Ngosa, Bwalya Nyambe, Mwanza and Matthews. was filled with beautiful Zambian singing and Back, l-r: Frs. Kachigamba Phiri, Musukuma, Bishop Chinyemba, Bishop Kalumba, and Fr. Lipalata. Continued on page 4 SEPTEMBER-2018 -1 Ecological Initiative: 25 tinued as Di- years at La Vista rector of the I am proud to say Center these that I was a member of the many years Central Province Provincial since. Council in 1993 when we The were asked, as a province, garden is now to dedicate and preserve independent sections of the Novitiate and this is a real property at Godfrey, IL, as sign of its a nature preserve. progress and Whenever I tell people success. Some about that, they immediately of these farm- ask me whether I voted for ers at the No- Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick, Debbie Newman, Natural or against the proposal! I vitiate have be- Areas Preservation Specialist, Fr. Lou, Sr. Madeleine Lane, gun other simi- am also happy to say that I remember SSND, representing her community, and Sr. Maxine lar agricultural that the decision of the council was Pohlman, SSND, Oblate Ecological Initiative director. unanimous to devote a large parcel of projects which our Novitiate as a protected nature pre- furthers the work begun here. lates of the Three Part Harmony Farm serve, particularly some very valuable The Ecological Initiative is a mis- on the property of the U.S. Province land along the Mississippi River bluffs. sion of our office of “Justice and Peace,” in Washington, D.C. Yes, a commu- This was the beginning of what headquartered in the Provincial office nity supported garden in the center of later developed into the Oblate Ecologi- building in Washington, DC which has the city in Washington, D.C. at our cal Initiative at the Immaculate Heart of expanded its name with “and Integrity Oblate headquarters! Mary Novitiate which began in 2001. of Creation.” Going even further back in his- This initiative began under the This office of “Justice and Peace tory, as an Oblate Congregation and leadership of former Oblate, Maurice and Integrity of Creation” (JPIC) owes as a U.S. Oblate Province: As Mis- Lange, along with the community – sup- a great debt of gratitude most especially sionary Oblates, we are known to be ported garden and the Ecological Learn- to Séamus Finn, OMI, who success- “down to earth in our preaching, giv- ing Center. He was soon joined by Sr. fully guided and promoted its mission ing practical application of the gospel Maxine Pohlman, SSND, who has con- over two decades as its Director and to the lives of the people we serve and Mentor. Special thanks as well to the close to the people we serve.” ministry of Antonio Ponce, OMI, as We preach the message of Director more recently, and to Oblates Jesus who often used parables and ex- Norm Comtois, Darrell Rupiper and amples relating to soil and food and several other Oblates and friends who weather. served on the JPIC Committee over these Our faith teaches us that all of many years. Special thanks as well to creation was made in and through Mr. George Ngolwe and Ms. Mary Jesus Christ (St. Paul) and in the book O’Herron, for their dedication and vi- of Genesis, after God had finished the brant spirit of service, at our Washing- work of creation, He saw that it was ton office. good. The Ecological Initiative has also Each year, the Oblate novices been supported by many retreats at the have the opportunity to have their spiri- Lebh Shomea Contemplative and Re- tuality shaped, in part, by the beauty treat Center in Sarita, Texas, on the of this Novitiate property and to en- theme of “Integrity of Creation” as well Fr. Lou adddresses the gathering. as the support by the Missionary Ob- Continued on page 3 OMI-USA - 2 From the Provincial Continued from page 2 counter God’s grace and generosity on this “holy ground.” More than 20 years before the Encyclical of Pope Francis, “Laudato Si,” this ministry of preserving a forest area and the development of shared farming by the Missionary Oblates was a forerunner of Catholic Ecological Awareness. It is our sincere hope that the Oblate stewardship of this land, with all of its ability to teach us about God’s generosity and goodness to us, will con- tinue for many years into the future. Concelebrating at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows: l-r: Oblate Frs. On behalf of the Missionary David Kalert, Allen Maes, Harold Fisher, Lou Studer, Andy Knop. Oblates of Mary Immaculate, I offer ministering there during World War II new, larger space be located to accom- our sincere thanks and congratulations in 1943. Today the Oblates boast 110 modate the numerous pilgrims coming to all who have supported this effort priests and brothers in ministry in Haiti, for the Novena, held annually from July these past 25 years and to all who will making us the largest men’s religious 28 until August 5, the feast day. Fr. continue to support it for many years congregation in this tiny country. Edwin Guild, OMI solved this happy problem by founding the present-day into the future. Our Lady of the Snows Shrine YEAR OF ANNIVERSARIES Shrine located just three miles from the Missionary Oblates at the former seminary. Arrival in Haiti National Shrine of Our Lady of the In celebration of the 75th anni- This is the year of Oblate anni- Snows are also celebrating the 75th an- versary, Fr. Andy Knop, OMI, Shrine versaries! In May, the Oblates in Haiti niversary of the Novena to Our Lady Director, invited a former fellow semi- celebrated 75 years of presence on that of the Snows. Begun in 1943 at St. narian from the major seminary in Obra, Caribbean island. Oblates from the Henry’s Minor Seminary, the great Poland, Bishop Anthony Krotki, former U.S. Northern Province began crowds of the 1950’s required that a OMI, Bishop in the far northern region of Canada, where he ministers to the Inuit (Eskimo) people. Bishop Krotki requested to be assigned there imme- diately after his ordination to the priest- hood in 1990. In 2013, Krotki was ordained Bishop for the Diocese of Churchill- Hudson Bay, Canada. The Oblates in Northern Canada continue in the rich tradition of Fr. Paul Schulte, OMI, known as the Flying Priest, who brought the sacra- ments and other needed supplies to the Inuit people in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Fr. Schulte and Fr. Guild later became Lining up for the procession around the Shrine grounds Continued on page 9 SEPTEMBER-2018 -3 7 New Zambian Oblate priests Continued from page 1 dancing. Examples of the uniqueness of the ceremony: the Scriptures brought up by a small girl sitting in a miniature Losi boat carried by four attendants (photo, right), and among the customary offerings, gifts of a live goat, a chicken, and other items were brought to the altar. Frs. Benny, Bright, Morgan, Elvis, Godfrey, Felix, and Mathews come from various parts of Zambia. I got to know most of them during the year and a half I spent in Zambia living at the pre-novitiate house.Several made their novitiate in Godfrey. Others, in South Africa and Namibia. Their scholasticate years of Philosophy and Theology were also quite diverse: United States, Cameroun, Cedara, Rome, Kinshasa. They bring a wealth of international experiences, especially within the African context. Fr. Felix Nyambe is a recent graduate of Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio. The Gospels being brought to the altar by a girl carried in a miniature boat. to satisfy the legal requirements.